Head Of EPA: Climate Change Is Not a Top Threat Since It’s 50-Years-Away

The new administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Andrew Wheeler, said that unsafe drinking water is “probably the biggest environmental threat” for the world, according to Time.

In an interview which aired last Wednesday, Wheeler said that while climate change is “an important issue,” most of the threats it poses are “50 to 75 years out” so it’s “unreasonable” for the 2020 Democratic candidates for president to focus on the issue so much.

Climate scientists disagree with Wheeler. They say it is imperative that we act immediately and broadly to address climate change. The United Nations says “now is the defining moment to do something about it.”

Wheeler, who was nominated by President Trump, was confirmed in February. He has acknowledged that humans contribute to climate change and says the U.S. is trying to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. He also claims that 92 percent of U.S. water meets EPA safety standards per day.